Carrot Dogs

These carrot dogs are the best I’ve ever tasted and they really do taste like hot dogs! Cooked in a smoky marinade sauce for the best flavor.

When I was thinking about making this recipe I was wondering if I should call them ‘vegan hot dogs’ or ‘carrot dogs’.

I decided on carrot dogs because honestly, calling them hot dogs seems a bit misleading.

They ARE cooked in a way that makes them taste remarkably like hot dog sausages, but…. they’re still carrots. They might be my new favorite way to EAT carrots though.

We tried lots of different ways of making these carrot dogs, from marinating them for hours, to baking them in the oven, grilling them on a grill pan, but everything we tried still looked and tasted just like a cooked carrot! The ‘hot dog’ vibe was missing.

We finally hit on a method that works so well, it really does taste a LOT like a hot dog sausage, and better yet, it works really well in a hot dog roll with mustard and ketchup.

So if you’re looking for a really healthy, and pretty quick way to make hot dogs then these carrot dogs are exactly what you’re looking for.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Ingredient Notes

• Carrots – should be large carrots so that they can be shaped to look like sausages. It’s ideal if they’re a bit longer than a hot dog bun, so that you can cut them to size.
• Liquid smoke – really bumps up the smoky flavor. You can usually buy this in the same section of the store as bbq sauce. Or you can get it online.
• Vegetable stock – or broth are both fine to use.

How To Make Carrot Dogs

You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

• Trim and peel your carrots so that they are roughly the same length as a hot dog bun and an even shape, similar to a sausage.

• Add vegetable stock, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and maple syrup to a measuring jug and whisk together.

• Grease a medium skillet with a little olive oil.
• Add the peeled carrots and then pour over the sauce.

• Heat on medium high heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat, cover and let the carrots simmer until fork tender (about 25 minutes).

• Remove from the heat, cover and let it sit, covered for 20 minutes.

• Then remove the carrots from the skillet.
• They’re ready to serve!

Want To Grill Them?

If you want to get those pretty grill lines on your carrot dogs, then you would still prepare the recipe as written, but as an optional extra step, heat up a grill pan with a little oil and when hot, add your carrot dogs and let them sear on either side to get those lovely grill marks.

These carrot dogs make a great make-ahead option in this respect as you can make them as usual, but then let them cool and take them along to an outdoor picnic or BBQ and simply reheat and sear them on the grill before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve them in hot dog buns with mustard and ketchup for a classic version. Other great toppings are relish, guacamole, vegan refried beans, vegan chili or vegan baked beans.

They’re great with salads on the side like vegan potato salad, vegan coleslaw or vegan macaroni salad.

Storing and Reheating

Keep leftover carrot dogs stored in the fridge in a covered container and enjoy within 3-4 days.

They’re great enjoyed cold but you can also reheat them in the microwave or in a hot pan.

More Delicious Vegan Recipes

1. Vegan Burgers
2. Portobello Burgers
3. Tofu Steaks
4. Vegan Kebabs
5. Grilled Tofu
6. Vegan Sausages

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!